1st January 1959

The 'Bretwalda' being launched, and she was the last ship to be built by Thompsons after about a hundred years of shipbuilding on that site.

The m.v."Bretwalda was a 'Tween-Deck Dry-Cargo' ship belonging to Hall Bros Steamship Co of Newcastle England. I joined this ship, as 3rd.Mate in October 1958 and stood by the rest of her building, at J & L Thompson's North Sands Shipyard. We sailed from Sunderland on January 1st 1959, light ship, bound for Houston, Texas...     to be continued...

The mv Bretwalda from the opposite bank on 31st December 1958, the day pror to the start of the maiden voyage. My new wife Lilian is in the centre foreground.